Love's Valley Duet: (Spark of Love and Lessons in Love) Read online

  A man around my size walks in, not what I was expecting of their uncle for some reason, and glares at Mason and I, but when his wife touches his arm, he softens and looks at her. “Why are they here? They made my nieces cry.” All thought of civility is gone as we demand to know where they are. “Haven’t you upset them enough?” He asks instead of telling us.

  “I don’t know why Dot is, but it’s not from anything I said or did. I told her I wanted her to move in, and she just up and left without warning. I need to fix whatever upset her and take her home where she belongs.”

  “Johnny, he calls her Dot. Isn’t that adorable?” Maggie asks, taking his hand and tugging to move him out of the way. We all know she doesn’t have the physical strength to do so, but emotionally she’s a powerful force where he’s concerned, so he steps aside and points toward the stairs. “Charlotte is the second door on the left,” he tells me, then looks at Mason and adds, “CeCe the first.”

  Heading that way, Mason and I give each other a nod when we reach the landing, then take the respective paths toward our future.

  **Charlotte**

  “CeCe, I think we made a mistake. We didn’t even give them a chance.” I’ve been saying pretty much the same thing since we got here, but nothing seems to be getting through to her. We’re currently in my room and she’s sitting on the bed, watching me pace. I wish I’d never left Levi. And then it hits me, and I want to slap my hand to my forehead for not thinking of it before. “Quitter.” Her eyes narrow and I know I’ve got her. “You know, you leaving means Mason won. He’s probably gloating, too. He seems the type, don’t you think? Maybe getting out of there was for the best. I doubt he had any redeeming qualities. He’s quiet. You’d be bored with him.”

  “Mason is wonderful.”

  “Then why were you in such a hurry to get away from him?” She opens her mouth and I stop her before she can answer. “And don’t say it was to protect me.”

  “I’m scared of what I feel for him.”

  “So, face it head on. That’s how you’ve always handled things. Why is this different?” When she mumbles, I make her repeat herself.

  “He doesn’t believe in his family’s legend, but I do.”

  “It’s obvious he has feelings for you. Levi and I saw you kissing.”

  “Where?”

  That gains my attention. The only reason to ask where is if it happened more than once where we could’ve seen them. “On Valley View. You two looked to be enjoying yourselves.” She blushes, something I have never seen her do, but it quickly turns to sadness.

  “Without the legend, how do I know this isn’t just fun for him while my emotions run so much deeper.”

  “Did you ask him?” She shakes her head no, and I want to know why not.

  “What if I’m right?”

  I softly counter with, “What if you’re wrong?” Her gaze jerks up and she looks at me in shock, as if that option never occurred to her. Neither of us are aware of the door opening, giving us an audience.

  “You should listen to your sister more,” Mason says, startling us. “I may not have trusted in the legacy, but that’s simply because I hadn’t met you yet.” Oh, swoon. These two may not have the Love surname, but it’s in their veins. Not to be outdone, Levi strides forward and loosely grips my biceps and lifts me off my feet so we’re eye to eye.

  “You. Ran. From. Me. Do you know how much that hurt? You said you were mine, then you left me. Never again.” Then he sets me on the bed, grabs something out of his front pocket, and slides something onto my finger. “This is my promise to always love you, always put you first, and to never take you for granted. As soon as we can, you’re marrying me. And I hope I knocked you up the other night.” I hear CeCe gasp, either at what Levi said or something Mason did, but it’s quickly cut off, more than likely by his mouth.

  I wrap my arms around Levi’s neck and say without hesitation, “Yes.”

  “Dot, you seem confused. I wasn’t asking. Our destiny was sealed the second you were born and fate brought you to me when it was time.” I’m melting. Fusing my lips to his, I show him how much I love him, doubting I can get the words out through the lump in my throat.

  “Baby, I want nothing more than to be inside you right now, to not let you leave the bed until my seed has taken root, but not here. As soon as we’re home, okay?”

  I nod, then tell my sister, without looking away from him, “CeCe, I’m going back. I belong in Love’s Valley, with Levi.” When there’s no answer, I glance at where I last saw my sister and his brother and find them in much the same position we were just in.

  “Let’s grab your stuff. After we load it, we’ll tell your uncle and aunt bye. They’re welcome to visit as often as they’d like.” We do just that, and soon discover they were expecting this outcome.

  Uncle John pulls Mason and Levi aside while our aunt talks to us, though I tune her out – sorry Aunt Maggie – and tune in to their conversation instead. “Their piece of shit father really did a number on them, but neither Maggie nor I realized how much until CeCe called and asked me to come get them,” our uncle says.

  I see Levi nod out of the corner of my eye before responding, “I will never treat her as anything less than the most important person in my life, and when we have children, they will get the same. In my family, we instantly know when we’ve met our one. No couple has ever been separated for any reason other than death.”

  Uncle John smiles and admits, “Yeah, there’ve been rumors regarding the Loves of Love’s Valley.” He chuckles at their shocked expressions. “I know neither of you need it, but in lieu of the situation with their dad, and the fact I’ve known them since the day they were born and promised their mom to always watch over them, you have our blessing. I wish you all the happiness their aunt has given me.”

  Hugs are given, plans are made for them to come see us, then Levi and I load into his car while Mason and CeCe get into his, and we head home.

  “I’m sorry, Levi. I let CeCe get into my brain.” Then she shakes her head and corrects herself. “No, that’s not true. The doubts were already there.”

  “Why?” I wasn’t expecting her confession, believing I’d proven she was it for me.

  “You did,” she assures me, and I realize I’d spoken aloud. “But,” she shrugs, “your dad is the mayor. You and your mom both own businesses. Your brother is a teacher. And I’m…”

  “Amazing. Perfect for me. Beautiful inside and out. Mine.”

  “I’m not good enough for you,” she whispers and I immediately pull over, unclasp her seat belt, and yank her onto my lap.

  “What the hell kind of nonsense is this?”

  “My own dad didn’t want me. I have no job. No degree. And no transportation.”

  “Your dad is an asshole and has no idea of the treasure he willingly let go. I wish I could’ve met her, but it’s obvious you and your sister take after her. Penny offered you a position, and meant it, and I have a feeling Misty would love to have you as well. If you want to go to school, then do it. Also, it’s fixed. I finished it last night to stop myself from calling or showing up at your room and dragging you back to our home.”

  “Our home,” she sighs. “I like that.”

  Shaking my head, I ask, “Out of everything I said, that’s what you focus on?”

  “It was the most important part.” Then she looks at the ring on her finger, my late grandma’s that I’d picked up from my parents’ house after meeting her, and wants to know, “Can we get married right away? I don’t want to wait.”

  “Dot, we’d get hitched this second if I could swing it.”

  “Maybe we could do a double wedding? That is if CeCe isn’t giving Mason a hard time.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she is. But he has it coming.” We both laugh, then she drops a quick kiss on me and returns to her side. I head straight home, leave her stuff in the car, then carry her to our room where I make love to her into the early morning hours.

  “I love yo
u, Levi,” she tells me as we drift off to sleep as the sun rises, her head against my chest. “Thank you for coming after me.”

  “I love you, too, Charlotte. There is nowhere you could go I wouldn’t follow.”

  CONTINUE READING FOR PART TWO, FOLLOWED BY THE EPILOGUES.

  Lesson in Love

  Mason and Cecilia

  Chapter One

  Cecilia

  June 7th…

  “We should split up,” I suggest.

  “What? Why?” She asks nervously. “Is that a good idea?” Charlotte hates talking to strangers, becoming shy when faced with just the possibility.

  I grab her hand and give it a squeeze. When she begins inhaling and exhaling, I do the latter myself, relieved she was able to work through it. “You got this?” She answers with a nod, so I explain why I said it. “I’m going to find a place to stay, just in case.”

  Charlotte raises her arm and points down the road. “I’ll head there,” she says.

  Squinting, I can barely make out the sign proclaiming it, “LV Repairs.”

  “Why don’t you just wear your glasses?”

  “They make me look like a nerd,” I inform her.

  “You mean, as if you read books all day? Oh no, the horror,” she teases and I stick my tongue out at her. My twin is a bookworm and says she loves it so much because she accidentally got the craving for it for both of us.

  “Go,” I tell her with a gentle nudge. “Divide and conquer, Char.” Watching until she’s out of sight, I turn the opposite direction and follow the signs to the Love’s Valley Inn.

  “Good afternoon, dear. My name is Bea,” a sweet voice says and I walk to the desk, sure it’s coming from the woman behind it. She’s in her late fifties and has a welcoming smile that’s surprisingly free of any wrinkles, though there are plenty of laugh lines. I envy her those, proof of a happy life, something my sister and I haven’t had since losing our mom. Even when she was alive, things were strained whenever her husband – I just can’t call him dad now – was around.

  “Hello, Bea,” I reply giving her a friendly one in return.

  “Do you need a room?”

  “Actually,” I begin, trying to hold in my frustration at the situation Charlotte and I have found ourselves in, “we might.” And then I tell her what happened, and that my sister is on her way to the repair shop to see if someone there can help us. She gets this gleam in her eye for a reason I don’t understand, then pats my hand and says she’d love to help us out, no charge.

  “Oh no,” I instantly deny her kindness, “we couldn’t do that.”

  “But you can, and you will. I won’t accept your money. It’s no good here.” When she glances at me, I open my mouth to try once more, but she just gives me the mom look, and it doesn’t matter if it’s not coming from your own, it works on anyone’s kid.

  “Thank you,” I tell her with complete sincerity. Honestly, not having to pay will be very helpful with the unexpected repairs to deal with.

  “You’re very welcome….” taking the hint, I tell her my name, “CeCe. If you wish to explore the grounds, please feel free to do so. It will allow us to ensure the room is up to par.” Following her advice, I do just that, though I’m not buying her explanation. I have no doubt just about every inch of this place is spotless, but she wants to send me out for some reason…and I’m thinking it has to do with that earlier gleam in her eye, the same one she’s now aiming at me. Strolling around, I find myself stopping at the garden off to the side of the two-story building, the flowers catching my eye. More specifically, the lily of the valley – my mom’s favorite. Seeing it, I take a deep breath and, quickly checking to see if anyone is within earshot, I do something I haven’t been able to in too long…I talk to my mom. “I know you aren’t really here, but it feels like you are. Charlotte and I are okay, so don’t worry about us, though you will anyway. We’re heading to see Uncle John and Aunt Maggie to stay with them while we figure out what we want to do. We had to stop in the cutest little town. You’d love it.” A shudder goes up my spine and I turn, feeling as if someone is watching, but I’m alone…something I’ve gotten used to since last year. I was a track and field star at school, always surrounded by friends or teammates, but, as ironic as it is, you really can feel lonely in a crowd. This trip will help though, getting us to family that actually wants us, and bringing my sister and I back together. Charlotte may think I’m the strong one, but I’d be lost without her. I know that sounds odd considering how far apart we’ve drifted since losing mom, but at least she was still there. “I miss you,” I whisper, and allow myself to believe for a second that the wind caressing my cheek is her hand offering me comfort.

  Aimlessly wandering, always more comfortable outside than in, I make my way down Valley View and just miss bumping into a man leaving a shop.

  “Oh, excuse me,” he says, adjusting his glasses.

  “It’s my fault, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” I admit, trying to see what color his eyes are. When he glances up, I’m met with gray eyes that seem to darken for a second before returning to their natural hue. His hair, a sandy blond, is cut close on the sides and a little longer on top. My fingers itch to move the lock curling over his left brow, but I make them behave.

  “Mason,” he offers, holding out his hand. Taking it, I suddenly feel like I’m in one of those romance novels Charlotte devours, wondering if my life has changed forever.

  “CeCe,” I supply.

  “What’s your full name?” He asks. When I tell him it’s Cecilia, he nods as if he’s decided that’s what he’ll call me. “Beautiful,” he declares, and I’m not sure if he’s talking about my name or something else, though he’s staring straight at my face. “Are you visiting someone? I don’t remember mention of family coming in,” he muses to himself.

  “And they would tell you that?”

  “Perhaps, or I’d hear it in passing.”

  “Your town likes to gossip, does it?”

  “That’s true of everywhere, I’d say. And while we’re far from perfect here, for the most part, news such as that is shared from happiness, not maliciousness. We’re a tight knit community, though there are a few outliers, of course. Studies show,” he continues, only to stop with a self-deprecating smile and state, “you don’t want to hear that.” Mason looks shocked when I ask him to keep going, though I meant it. “You asked for it,” he tells me with a wink. “Studies show residents of small-towns or rural areas are happier than those in bigger cities. The belief is that in the former you’re more able to have close bonds with your neighbors, giving you a stronger sense of belonging as opposed to the latter.”

  Charlotte and I were born in the city, and while it wasn’t one of the largest in our state, it was easily triple the size of Love’s Valley, if not more. “You hear that, and you want to say, that makes complete sense, but it’s not something you ever think about until research is actually done on it. Back home, the chance of bumping into someone I know at the store was minimal, and people were less prone to help a stranger.”

  “Did someone not help you when you needed it?” He asks, taking a step closer.

  “Uh, that’s a loaded question,” I reply, my brain instantly going to my father. He might as well have been a stranger for the lack of parental anything he gave us.

  “Not really,” he chimes in, “things are one way or the other.”

  “You don’t believe in a middle ground?”

  Mason shakes his head. “I deal in facts, those can be proven or unproven, which leaves no room for doubt.”

  “Is it lonely on the straight and narrow where you live? You can’t get many visitors, they’re probably too scared. One misstep and they’re out.”

  “That’s not fair,” he informs me.

  “Well, I used the facts you’re so fond of to make my case. Things are black or white with you, allowing for no uncertainty, but that’s a part of reality. So, unless someone is perfect and living their life as such, you app
arently want nothing to do with them. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to turn around and follow that path, which is my choice to make because I’m allowed to change my mind.” I do just that, and throw out over my shoulder, “I find it ironic that someone with such beautiful gray eyes doesn’t believe areas of the same shade exist.”

  Returning to the inn and finding the room ready, I call Charlotte and we agree to meet at the diner. Waiting for her, my thoughts continually return to Mason and I wonder what it would take to get him to loosen up…

  Chapter Two

  Mason

  June 8th…

  “Mom? You said you needed me?”

  “Thank you, Mason. You’re such a dear. There’s a door on the guest floor that keeps sticking. Could you fix it for me?”

  “Of course,” I tell her as she steps from behind the desk and gives me a hug. It’s not the first time she’s needed help, nor will it be the last. My dad, brother, and I have made many trips here to repair an appliance, stop a squeak, or lift something heavy. “Which room?”

  “Nine,” she says, then smiles, the kind that has warning bells going off. Keeping a cautious eye out, though I don’t know for what, I take the stairs and stop at the maintenance room at the end of the hall before moving to the problem door. Unlocking it with the master key mom gave us for emergencies, I hear what she’s talking about and grab the WD-40 from the toolbox. It’s quickly taken care of, and I relock the door then gather my things.

  Walking past room seven, I’m surprised when it opens and the vixen from yesterday peeks out. She was on my mind all night long, my aching cock when I woke up this morning a testament to how badly I wanted her. Giving her a wink, I state, “No need to rush, Cecilia. I’m here.” Loving when she rolls her eyes at my teasing, mine widen when I take in her attire. “Where are you going dressed like that?” The volume of my voice is rising the longer I’m staring at what she isn’t wearing and all the skin her shorts and tank top are showing.